Refrigerating apparatus



H. B. HULL El AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS April 16, 1935.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1950 ATTORNEY April 16, 1935. H. B.HULL Er AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2n I, NVENTOR u ATTORN EY H, B. HULL ET AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS April16,4 1935.

Filed sept. 2o. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheetl 3 INVENTOR MM 2.41249 ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES 1,997,793 REFRIGERATING APPARATUSHarry B. Hull and Curtis E.

Kampman, Dayton,

Ohio, assgnors, by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, acorporation of D ela- Ware Application September 20, 1930, Serial No.483,177 (c1. .zii-153) Z Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularlyto the shelf arrangement in such apparatus.l

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved meansfor supporting shelves in refrigerator cabinets.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shelf for arefrigerator cabinet and to provide means on opposed inner side walls ofsaid cabinet for supporting said shelf, said shelf being readilyremovable from the cabinet and when removed therefrom the inneriwalls ofsaid cabinet present substantially flat surfaces which may be readilycleaned.

Another object is to provide an improved sliding shelf arrangement inrefrigerator cabinets, in which the shelf and its support are readilyremovable from the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in cross section and partly in elevation of arefrigerating apparatus embodying features of the present invention;

vFig. 2 is a View in cross section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a modified form of shelfarrangement;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of shelf arrangement embodyingfeatures of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a View in cross section taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a view of amodiiied form of shelf arrangement embodyingfeaturesof this invention;

Fig. 8 is a view in cross section taken along the line 8--8 of Fig. '1;and

Fig. v9 is a View of a modified formof shelf arrangement embodyingfeatures of the invention.

I-Ieretofore it has been the practice to support shelves in refrigeratorcabinets on pegs carried by the lining member of the cabinet, or byother devices which permitted rattling of the shelves when food articleswere placed upon or removed from said shelves, or by the motion of themachine in the cabinet. In an arrangement of this type the shelves wereloosely supported by the lining member of the cabinet and in manyinstances it was necessary to provide additional clamps for securing theshelves to the cabinet during transportation thereof.

This invention is concerned with an improved shelf arrangement inrefrigerator cabinets, in

lof the present invention.

,45 and 45.

which the shelves are rigidly secured to the inner walls of the cabinetbut readily removed therefrom andwhen removed therefrom'A the innerwalls of said cabinet. present a substantially smooth and at surface`which may be easily cleaned.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 20designates in general a refrigerator cabinet embodying features Thecabinet 20 comprises in general side walls 22, front wall 23 and rearwall 24. The walls 22, 23 and 24 are provided with insulation 21interposed between an inner metal lining 30 and an outer casing 32. Thefront wall 23 is provided with an opening closed by a door 36. Anexpansible shelf 40 is provided for supporting articles to berefrigerated.

The shelf is of the open work type having an outer wire member 42providing sides 43, 44,

A plurality of wire strands 41 extend across the sides 44 and 46 and aresecured to said sides of the wire member 42 preferably by solder. Theside 43 of the shelf 40 isformed to provide a plurality of spaced apartprojections 50. The side 45 of the shelf 40 is provided with a,plurality of threaded lugs or projections 52. Preferably the projections52 include adjustable members 54 provided with arcuate portions 55. Theprojections and 52 are adapted to cooperate with the inner metal liningmember 30 to thus support the shelf member 40 by said lining member in amanner about to be described. In order to provide'means for supportingthe shelf member 4B by the lining member 3U there is provided in opposedside walls of the lining a plurality of spaced apart slight indentationsor dimples 51 and 59. The projections 50 and 52 are adapted to bereceived in the dimples 51 and 59 respectively. The projections anddimples preferably have the shape of spherical segments. Since the shelfis expansible due to the adjustable member 54, the projections 50 canrst be inserted into the dimples 51 and the projections 52 aligned withthe dimples 59 and then the adjustable members 54 may be turned untilthe arcuate portions 55 tightly engage the dimples 59 of the liningmember 30. By this arrangement the shelves may be readily removed fromor inserted into-the cabinet. Also, this arrangement prevents rattlingof the shelves since the shelves are rigidly secured to the liningmember.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a lining member 10 forarefrigerator cabinet is adapted to support a shelf member 12 by means ofan expansible shelf supporting member 14. In this particular embodimentthe shelf supporting member is provided with a plurality of lugs orsubstantially of the form of spherical segments and a plurality ofadjustable projections 19 provided with arcuate portions 19a also of theform of spherical segments'. The shelf supporting member 14 is providedwith curled edges 80 and- 8| which are adapted to provide slide-ways forthe shelf 12. The shelf supporting member 14 is also provided withlongitudinally extending tie members 84 preferably formed. integrallywith the curled edges and 8| for maintaining the curled edges 80 and 8|in spaced relation. The tie members "84 are provided with beadedportions for strengthening said tie members. Preferably the projections'l1 and the. adjustable projections 19 are welded to the shelfsupporting member. In order to support the shelf by the lining member'I0 there is provided a plurality of slight indentations or dimples and92. The dimples 90 are adapted to receive the projections 'l1 while thedimples S2`are adapted to receive the adjustable projections 19. Thesedimples preferably take the form of hollow sphericalsegments. Sincetheshelf l2 is' slidably supported by the shelf supporting member the wirestrands are provided with vupwardly directed portions 91 which serve toprevent dishes or the like from sliding 01T the shelf when said shelf isbeing pulled toward the front of the cabinet. Also the upturned portions91 serve as bumpers to prevent the heavy wire portion 98 of said shelffrom engaging the rear wall of the lining member. By this particulararrangement the shelf member '|2 may be slid along the slideways 80 and8| until the entire shelf member is removed from the cabinet through thefront door opening, or said shelf may be removed sufficiently from thecabinet to give ready access to articles placed on the rear portion-ofsaid shelf member. Preferably the shelf member and the selfsupportingmembers including projections 11 and '|'9 are coated with anon-corroding plating.

If desired, the shelf 12 may be provided with means which limits theoutward'movement there- 0f to thus prevent the rear portion of saidshelf from tipping downwardly bythe unexpected removal of the rearportion of said shelf from its support. This means comprises a wiremember |00 carried by the wire strands 95 and a movable stop |0| whichmay be secured to the curled edge 80 in any suitable manner and at anydesired place along said curled edge. The stop |0| includes a movablefinger |03 pivotally mounted at y |05. Since the pivot point |05 offinger |03 is oil' -center and the side |08 thereof is the heaviest, thefinger will remain in the position shown in the drawings to serve as astop until said finger is manually actuated to a vertical position. Whenthe finger |03 is in a vertical position the wire member |00 will clearthe stop to thus permit the shelf to be entirely removed from thecabinet.

ReferringtoFigs. 'I and 8 there is shown amodified form of shelfconstruction and shelf arrangement in a refrigerator cabinet. In thisparticular embodiment a. lining member 0 is adapted to support anexpansible shelf member ||2. The shelf member I2 is similar to the shelfmember 40 with the exception that a plurality of lugs or projections ||5are secured to the outer wire member I9 instead of said outer wiremember being formed to provide projections as shown in Fig. 1 at 50.Thus the projections ||5 and a plurality of adjustable projections |20are adapted to cooperate with a plurality of slight indentations ordimples I2 provided in the lining member ||0 for supporting the shelfmember ||2 by the lining member H0.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 the shelf members |23 may besupported by slight indentations or dimples provided in opposite wallsof the cabinet |25 in a similar manner as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, 6, 7and 8. However, the opposite walls in this modification may be one ormore partition walls |30 which may be provided with a plurality ofdimples for receiving the projecting lugs carried by said shelf. In thisembodiment the partition wall |30 is used to form a housing for acooling element (not shown) 'I'he dimples in the partition wall may bethe same as the dimples in the lining members 30, 10 and ||0.

Referring nowto Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown a modified form of shelfarrangement for a refrigerator cabinet. As shown the lining member |35is adapted to support a shelf member |31. In this particular embodimentthe lining member 40 and 40a substantially of the form of sphericalsegments and the shelf member is provided with one or more dimples |42and one or more adjustable dimples 43, all of which have a portionof'their surface of spherical contour. In this particular arrangementthe wire member |50 of the shelf |31 is looped to provide a threaded eyeportion |52 adapted to receive a set screw |45. The set screw |45 isadapted to carry the dimple portion |43 with said dimple portionrotatably mounted on the one end thereof. In order to insert or removethe Vshelf from the cabinet all that is necessary is to place the dimpleportion |42 over the projection |40 and then turn the adjustable screwthreaded member for causing the dimple |43 to engage or disengage theprojection 40a.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

41. A refrigerator cabinet having an inner sheet metal lining member,said lining member having deformed portions on opposite wall sections, ashelf structure including a rectangular member having a supportingsurface and a bounding member extending around its perimeter, saidbounding member having deformed portions on one side provided with meansfor engaging some of the deformed portions of the lining member ,tosupport the shelf structure at one side and projections onthe oppositeside of the bounding frame provided with adjustable means for engagingother deformed portions of the lining member to support the shelf on theopposite side.

2. A refrigerator cabinet having an inner sheet metal lining member,said lining member having deformed portions upon opposite wall sections,a shelf structure including a rectangular member having a supportingsurface and a bounding member extending along its perimeter, saidbounding member having arms extending therefrom on one side providedwith means for engaging some of the deformed portions of the liningmember to support the shelf structure at one v side, and projections onthe opposite-side of the

